Zimbabwe

To go or not to go to Zimbabwe, that was the question once we had seen the falls from the Zambian viewpoints. From Livingstone, it was only a short hop over the border, but we were warned that there would be no petrol, bread or potatoes on the other side. Was it a good idea to go to such a country with a five year old kid? Was it worth the ridiculous visa fees? And wouldn’t our money end up in the pockets of a few government cronies?

After some discussions, we put our initial reservations aside and crossed the elegant bridge over the Zambezi from Zam to Zim. Immediately, we got encircled by a swerm of curio sellers who would do anything for our cash. ,,Five dollars, my friend. Real ebony. Look. You don’t believe me? Real ebony! You can’t scratch it. Just three dollars, Sir. I am a poor guy. I am suffering. OK. Make it one. I am hungry. You don’t want it? No? Let’s exchange it. Give me your shoes. You have a nice jacket. Real ebony, remember. Any old t-shirts? Sir? Sir?’

The desperation of these curio sellers, and everyone else in the town of Victoria Falls, told the story of a failed state. The Zimbabwean economy has completely collapsed. The inflation of the Zimbabwean dollar is out of control. At the official rate, one US dollar should be equal to 50 000 Zim dollars. On the street, however, money changers would give you at least 1,6 million Zim dollars for one green note. The average salary of a school teacher is 17 million Zim dollar a month, just enough to buy ten rolls and some bananas or a bottle of cheap local wine.

Indeed, bread and fruit are available in the supermarkets nowadays, as opposed to a couple of months ago, but no ordinary Zimbabwean can buy them. Apart from the fact that everything is ridiculously expensive, there is not enough printed money in circulation. People who are lucky enough to have a salary, are told that there is a lack of cash to give it to them. A guy we met was still waiting to get his november wage in his hands. People die, the opposion newspaper reports, because they can’t get enough cash to pay the hospital, even if the money is on their bank accounts. Everything reminded Triin of her childhood in the Soviet Union.
Being a tourist in such place turned out to be far from easy, as everything you do seems so decadent from the perspective of the average Zimbabwean struggling to survive till the end of another day. The restaurants, booking centres and luxurious hotels continue to make profits though. Obviously, the show must go on. It gave us the feeling of being on the Titanic: the band continues playing while the ship is sinking.

For more news about Zimbabwe, visit www.thezimbabwean.co.uk www.zimbabwedemocracynow.com http://www.zimpatriot.com/